ABSTRACT Data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network （WWLLN） were used to analyze the lightning activity and the relationship between maximum sustained wind and lightning rate in 69 tropical cyclones over t...ABSTRACT Data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network （WWLLN） were used to analyze the lightning activity and the relationship between maximum sustained wind and lightning rate in 69 tropical cyclones over the Northwest Pacific Ocean from 2005 to 2009. The minimum lightning density was observed in the category 2 typhoon Kong-Rey （2007）, with a value of only 1.15 d-1 （100 kin）-2. The maximum lightning density occurred in the category 2 typhoon Mitag （2007）, with a value of 510.42 d-1 （100 km）-2. The average lightning density decreased with radius from the typhoon center in both weak （categories 1-3） and super （categories 4-5） typhoons. The average lightning density in the inner core of super typhoons was more than twice as large as that for weak typhoons. Both groups of typhoons showed a near-monotonic decrease in lightning density with radius. Results also showed that lightning activity was more active in typhoons that made landfall than in those that did not. The mean correlation coefficient between the accumulated flashes within a 600-kin radius and the maximum wind speed in the weak typhoons and super typhoons was 0.81 and 0.74, respectively. For more than 78% （56%） of the super （weak） typhoons, the lightning activity peaked before the maximum sustained wind speed, with the most common leading time being 30 （60） h. The results suggest that, for the Northwest Pacific Ocean, lightning activity might be used as a measurement of the intensification of typhoons.展开更多
Super Typhoon Halyan （1330）, which occurred in 2013, is the most powerful typhoon during landfall in the meteorological record. In this study, the temporal and spatial distributions of lightning activity of Haiyan w...Super Typhoon Halyan （1330）, which occurred in 2013, is the most powerful typhoon during landfall in the meteorological record. In this study, the temporal and spatial distributions of lightning activity of Haiyan were analyzed by using the lightning data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network, typhoon intensity and position data from the China Meteorological Administration, and horizontal wind data from the ECMWF. Three distinct regions were identified in the spatial distribution of daily average lightning density, with the maxima in the inner core and the minima in the inner rainband. The lightning density in the intensifying stage of Haiyan was greater than that in its weakening stage. During the time when the typhoon intensity measured with maximum sustained wind speed was between 32.7 and 41.4 m s-1, the storm had the largest lightning density in the inner core, compared with other intensity stages. In contrast to earlier typhoon studies, the eyewall lightning burst out three times. The first two eyewall lightning outbreaks occurred during the period of rapid intensification and before the maximum intensity of the storm, suggesting that the eyewall lightning activity could be used to identify the change in tropical cyclone intensity. The flashes frequently occurred in the inner core, and in the outer rainbands with the black body temperature below 220 K. Combined with the ECMWF wind data, the influences of vertical wind shear （VWS） on the azimuthal distribution of flashes were also analyzed, showing that strong VWS produced downshear left asymmetry of lightning activity in the inner core and downshear right asymmetry in the ralnbands.展开更多
Using lightning observations from the Fengyun-4A Lightning Mapping Imager(FY-4A LMI),best-track data from the Shanghai Typhoon Institute,bright temperature(TBB)data from Himawari-8 satellite,and composite reflectivity...Using lightning observations from the Fengyun-4A Lightning Mapping Imager(FY-4A LMI),best-track data from the Shanghai Typhoon Institute,bright temperature(TBB)data from Himawari-8 satellite,and composite reflectivity(CR)data from the South China radar network,we investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of lightning activity and convective evolution during the landfall of Super Typhoon Mangkhut,the strongest landing typhoon in China in2018.Three stages of active total lightning are observed,and differences of lightning characteristics between the inner core and the outer rainbands are present.The onset of inner-core lightning outbreak is about 4 h ahead of the maximum intensity of the storm,providing indicative information on the change of typhoon intensity.Lightning rates in the outer rainbands increase rapidly 12 h before the landfall,and lightning activity is mainly confined in the outer rainbands after the landfall.A good correlation in hourly variation is shown between lightning rates from the LMI and TBBs from the satellite.The averaged TBB within the inner core reaches its minimum(–80℃)when the innercore lightning outbreak occurs,indicating the occurrence and enhancement of deep convection there.Lightning locations observed by the LMI has a good spatial correspondence with regions of low TBBs and high CRs,revealing the monitoring capability of the LMI to lightning activity and deep convection in landing typhoons.Comparisons between the World Wide Lightning Location Network(WWLLN)and the LMI reveal that the spatial distribution,temporal evolution,and radial pattern of lightning activity in Mangkhut observed by the two systems are consistent.Furthermore,due to the detection capability of total lightning,the LMI has advantages in revealing the higher ratio of intra-cloud lightning within the inner core in typhoon.The continuous and real-time observation ofFY-4ALMI provides an unprecedented platform for monitoring total lightning and deep convection in landing typhoons in China,which will promote the generation of new research and applications in the future.展开更多
Previous observations from World Wide Lightning Location Network(WWLLN) and satellites have shown that typhoon-related lightning data have a potential to improve the forecast of typhoon intensity. The current study wa...Previous observations from World Wide Lightning Location Network(WWLLN) and satellites have shown that typhoon-related lightning data have a potential to improve the forecast of typhoon intensity. The current study was aimed at investigating whether assimilating TC lightning data in numerical models can play such a role. For the case of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the lightning data assimilation(LDA) was realized in the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model, and the impact of LDA on numerical prediction of Haiyan’s intensity was evaluated.Lightning data from WWLLN were used to adjust the model’s relative humidity(RH) based on the method developed by Dixon et al.(2016). The adjusted RH was output as a pseudo sounding observation, which was then assimilated into the WRF system by using the three-dimensional variational(3DVAR) method in the cycling mode at 1-h intervals. Sensitivity experiments showed that, for Super Typhoon Haiyan(2013), which was characterized by a high proportion of the inner-core(within 100 km from the typhoon center) lightning, assimilation of the inner-core lightning data significantly improved its intensity forecast, while assimilation of the lightning data in the rainbands(100–500 km from the typhoon center) led to no obvious improvement. The improvement became more evident with the increase in LDA cycles, and at least three or four LDA cycles were needed to achieve obvious intensity forecast improvement. Overall, the improvement in the intensity forecast by assimilation of the inner-core lightning data could be maintained for about 48 h. However, it should be noted that the LDA method in this study may have a negative effect when the simulated typhoon is stronger than the observed, since the LDA method cannot suppress the spurious convection.展开更多
The spatial and temporal characteristics of lightning activities have been studied in seven super typhoons from 2005 to 2008 over the Northwest Pacific, using data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN...The spatial and temporal characteristics of lightning activities have been studied in seven super typhoons from 2005 to 2008 over the Northwest Pacific, using data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN). The results indicated that there were three distinct lightning flash regions in mature typhoon, a significant maximum in the eyewall regions (20-80 km from the center), a minimum from 80-200 km, and a strong maximum in the outer rainbands (out of 200 km from the center). The lightning flashes in the outer rainbands were much more than those in the inner rainbands, and less than 1% of flashes occurred within 100 km of the center. Each typhoon produced eyewall lightning outbreak during the periods of its intensification, usually several hours prior to its maximum intensity, indicating that lightning activity might be used as a proxy of intensification of super typhoon. Little lightning occurred near the center after landing of the typhoon.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.41005004 and 40930949)the "One-Hundred Talents Project" of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘ABSTRACT Data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network （WWLLN） were used to analyze the lightning activity and the relationship between maximum sustained wind and lightning rate in 69 tropical cyclones over the Northwest Pacific Ocean from 2005 to 2009. The minimum lightning density was observed in the category 2 typhoon Kong-Rey （2007）, with a value of only 1.15 d-1 （100 kin）-2. The maximum lightning density occurred in the category 2 typhoon Mitag （2007）, with a value of 510.42 d-1 （100 km）-2. The average lightning density decreased with radius from the typhoon center in both weak （categories 1-3） and super （categories 4-5） typhoons. The average lightning density in the inner core of super typhoons was more than twice as large as that for weak typhoons. Both groups of typhoons showed a near-monotonic decrease in lightning density with radius. Results also showed that lightning activity was more active in typhoons that made landfall than in those that did not. The mean correlation coefficient between the accumulated flashes within a 600-kin radius and the maximum wind speed in the weak typhoons and super typhoons was 0.81 and 0.74, respectively. For more than 78% （56%） of the super （weak） typhoons, the lightning activity peaked before the maximum sustained wind speed, with the most common leading time being 30 （60） h. The results suggest that, for the Northwest Pacific Ocean, lightning activity might be used as a measurement of the intensification of typhoons.
基金Supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China(2014CB441401)National Natural Science Foundation of China(41475002)
文摘Super Typhoon Halyan （1330）, which occurred in 2013, is the most powerful typhoon during landfall in the meteorological record. In this study, the temporal and spatial distributions of lightning activity of Haiyan were analyzed by using the lightning data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network, typhoon intensity and position data from the China Meteorological Administration, and horizontal wind data from the ECMWF. Three distinct regions were identified in the spatial distribution of daily average lightning density, with the maxima in the inner core and the minima in the inner rainband. The lightning density in the intensifying stage of Haiyan was greater than that in its weakening stage. During the time when the typhoon intensity measured with maximum sustained wind speed was between 32.7 and 41.4 m s-1, the storm had the largest lightning density in the inner core, compared with other intensity stages. In contrast to earlier typhoon studies, the eyewall lightning burst out three times. The first two eyewall lightning outbreaks occurred during the period of rapid intensification and before the maximum intensity of the storm, suggesting that the eyewall lightning activity could be used to identify the change in tropical cyclone intensity. The flashes frequently occurred in the inner core, and in the outer rainbands with the black body temperature below 220 K. Combined with the ECMWF wind data, the influences of vertical wind shear （VWS） on the azimuthal distribution of flashes were also analyzed, showing that strong VWS produced downshear left asymmetry of lightning activity in the inner core and downshear right asymmetry in the ralnbands.
基金Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFC1501502)Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Radiometric Calibration and Validation for Environmental Satellites of National Satellite Meteorological CenterNational Natural Science Foundation of China(41405004 and 41875001)。
文摘Using lightning observations from the Fengyun-4A Lightning Mapping Imager(FY-4A LMI),best-track data from the Shanghai Typhoon Institute,bright temperature(TBB)data from Himawari-8 satellite,and composite reflectivity(CR)data from the South China radar network,we investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of lightning activity and convective evolution during the landfall of Super Typhoon Mangkhut,the strongest landing typhoon in China in2018.Three stages of active total lightning are observed,and differences of lightning characteristics between the inner core and the outer rainbands are present.The onset of inner-core lightning outbreak is about 4 h ahead of the maximum intensity of the storm,providing indicative information on the change of typhoon intensity.Lightning rates in the outer rainbands increase rapidly 12 h before the landfall,and lightning activity is mainly confined in the outer rainbands after the landfall.A good correlation in hourly variation is shown between lightning rates from the LMI and TBBs from the satellite.The averaged TBB within the inner core reaches its minimum(–80℃)when the innercore lightning outbreak occurs,indicating the occurrence and enhancement of deep convection there.Lightning locations observed by the LMI has a good spatial correspondence with regions of low TBBs and high CRs,revealing the monitoring capability of the LMI to lightning activity and deep convection in landing typhoons.Comparisons between the World Wide Lightning Location Network(WWLLN)and the LMI reveal that the spatial distribution,temporal evolution,and radial pattern of lightning activity in Mangkhut observed by the two systems are consistent.Furthermore,due to the detection capability of total lightning,the LMI has advantages in revealing the higher ratio of intra-cloud lightning within the inner core in typhoon.The continuous and real-time observation ofFY-4ALMI provides an unprecedented platform for monitoring total lightning and deep convection in landing typhoons in China,which will promote the generation of new research and applications in the future.
基金Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2019YFC1510103)Basic Research Fund of the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences(2019Y003)。
文摘Previous observations from World Wide Lightning Location Network(WWLLN) and satellites have shown that typhoon-related lightning data have a potential to improve the forecast of typhoon intensity. The current study was aimed at investigating whether assimilating TC lightning data in numerical models can play such a role. For the case of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the lightning data assimilation(LDA) was realized in the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model, and the impact of LDA on numerical prediction of Haiyan’s intensity was evaluated.Lightning data from WWLLN were used to adjust the model’s relative humidity(RH) based on the method developed by Dixon et al.(2016). The adjusted RH was output as a pseudo sounding observation, which was then assimilated into the WRF system by using the three-dimensional variational(3DVAR) method in the cycling mode at 1-h intervals. Sensitivity experiments showed that, for Super Typhoon Haiyan(2013), which was characterized by a high proportion of the inner-core(within 100 km from the typhoon center) lightning, assimilation of the inner-core lightning data significantly improved its intensity forecast, while assimilation of the lightning data in the rainbands(100–500 km from the typhoon center) led to no obvious improvement. The improvement became more evident with the increase in LDA cycles, and at least three or four LDA cycles were needed to achieve obvious intensity forecast improvement. Overall, the improvement in the intensity forecast by assimilation of the inner-core lightning data could be maintained for about 48 h. However, it should be noted that the LDA method in this study may have a negative effect when the simulated typhoon is stronger than the observed, since the LDA method cannot suppress the spurious convection.
基金supported by Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.KZCX2-YW-206) and 100 Talents Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘The spatial and temporal characteristics of lightning activities have been studied in seven super typhoons from 2005 to 2008 over the Northwest Pacific, using data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN). The results indicated that there were three distinct lightning flash regions in mature typhoon, a significant maximum in the eyewall regions (20-80 km from the center), a minimum from 80-200 km, and a strong maximum in the outer rainbands (out of 200 km from the center). The lightning flashes in the outer rainbands were much more than those in the inner rainbands, and less than 1% of flashes occurred within 100 km of the center. Each typhoon produced eyewall lightning outbreak during the periods of its intensification, usually several hours prior to its maximum intensity, indicating that lightning activity might be used as a proxy of intensification of super typhoon. Little lightning occurred near the center after landing of the typhoon.
